Monday Movie Review, part Deux

Purplesque reminded me about Ratatouille yesterday, and I also remembered some other films that I'd meant to review but forgotten.

Ratatouille was nicely done - a little unbelievable of course (a Cordon Bleu who's a rodent?!) but who says fairy tales should only happen in the "days of yore"? The story premise was familiar and a little jaded, as is with most commercial animated films, but it was unusual in the fact that instead of the beaten-to-death man vs. nature battle, man and nature join hands to come up trumps. That's what I liked about Bee Movie as well.

Story-wise, Brad Bird's two earlier films - The Iron Giant and The Incredibles - were better. But Ratatouille was nevertheless nicely animated, with excellent lighting and texture. Also it was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into the research of Paris's famous gastronomic culture, especially with the addition of the death-like food critic Anton (aptly named the "Grim Eater"!) However, I wish they had animated more scenes of the food, since that was so central to the plot.

Realm of the Senses. This Japanese film, made in 1976, is inspired by a real incident in the 1930s, when China was sending its troops into Japan. It's about a married landlord who has a torrid affair with a former protitute-turned-brothel-maid. It's a very explicit film - two hours of almost non-stop full frontal male erect nudity, penetration, the works - sometimes in close-up. Some scenes are borderline repulsive. This threatens threatens to overwhelm the story in parts, but it makes sense when you find out that the film was made specifically to rebel against Japanese censors, who had no problems with depiction of violence and rape, but were prudish about sex. (Damn movie censors - they're the same everywhere.) That explains why the cast and crew is Japanese but the producers are French.

I found the movie extremely boring beyond a point, and even the unusual ending didn't surprise me because I sort of expected it. It was only later when I was mulling over it that I realised how the female protagonist's character undergoes a sea change from the beginning to the end, but I had not noticed. That was interesting, if a bit too long.

If you can see beyond the pornography (I don't even know whether to call it pornography, because it was a fictionalised narrative in spite of the unsimulated sex) there are very interesting displays of Japanese cultural motifs - specifically blood and death. Both are so deeply ingrained with Japanese culture that it is present in virtually every aspect of Japanese art, and especially so in this film, where the colour red stands out in particular. Those familiar with Miyazaki's work will know that these are present in his films too, which can be enjoyed by children as well.

There is Japanese traditional vocal and instrumental music throughout the movie (the lead actor sings really well, by the way) and there is even an unusual Kabuki-inspired dance accompanying a post-wedding orgy. Those familiar with Indian classical music will find an unmistakeable similarity in their music and ours, whether it is the ragas, notes and style of singing. Very interesting.

Overall, not really a must-watch movie, but it does have some historic and cultural value.

Woman of The Dunes. This film, also Japanese, is one of the most intriguing I've ever seen. An entomologist is looking for insect specimens near a beach, when he learns he has missed the last bus home. So the local villagers lead him to a house inside a sand dune occupied by a lone woman, and he accepts her hospitality. The woman and her home are very strange - every night, they have to shovel the falling sand so the house does not get buried. Soon the man realises he is trapped, as he cannot climb out. The woman asks him to stay with her and help look after the house. He goes mad, and is extremely angry with his hostess because she is content to just live inside the dune forever and has no desire to explore the world outside. After various attempts to escape are thwarted, he hits upon a plan. Whether it works or not I won't tell because this is a must-see film, and a taut psychological thriller as well. The feeling of endlessness and claustrophobia are beautifully captured.

Billy Elliot. I saw this movie last night. I had last seen it several years ago on cable, so some scenes and dialogue were censored, so this time I had the pleasure of seeing it raw. A heartwarming film set in County Durham, North England, it tells the story of a boy who dared to learn ballet instead of boxing while his miner father and brother are on strike. It is set in 1984 but still very reminiscent of the 60s British New Wave - films like Tony Richardson's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning - which portrayed the life of the working class.

Jamie Bell does an excellent job as Billy Elliott, and so does Julie Walters as the local ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson. There's also an unapologetic exploration of sexuality - Billy's attraction to his teacher's daughter Debbie and his coming to terms with his friend Michael's homosexuality. This is a distinction in British cinema, which does not hesitate to have its child actors use swear words and enact scenes of sexual tension if the story demands it (also see December Boys, Daniel Radcliffe's first non-Harry Potter role.) Billy even dares to ask his ballet teacher if she fancies him! The scenes when Billy is saying his goodbyes before leaving for a career at the Royal Ballet school are especially wrenching.

The accents will take a little time to get used to, but they are authentic and do not distract from the film. Fun fact: Apparently, the Durham slang for gay is "poof"!

I'd rank this movie as a must-see, especially for Jamie Bell. That boy can swear, cry, tap-dance and pirouette like a pro. Too bad we aren't getting to see more of him on a regular basis.